Back Pain Holding You Back From Your Sports Goals? 

How Physical Therapy Can Help

Here’s a fact about back pain that may surprise you: back pain is incredibly common, even among athletes. In fact, nearly 80% of people experience back pain at some point, and it doesn’t just affect those with sedentary lifestyles. Lifters, runners, weekend warriors, and competitive athletes frequently visit our clinic with complaints of back pain.

Of course, that thought does little to help if your back pain and its accompanying mobility restrictions sideline your workouts, limit your performance, or make everyday movement feel stiff and guarded. Furthermore, when ignored, it can turn into lingering pain that keeps you from training at your full potential.

At Complete Game Physical Therapy, we know how disruptive back pain can be for athletes. Our team of sports physical therapists will help you understand the cause or causes of your back pain and work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that will let you get back to the activities you love to do.

Call our clinic today to set up your initial consultation!

What Causes Back Pain?

One of the reasons that back pain is so common is that it’s associated with several different injuries, underlying conditions, or lifestyle factors. That said, most back pain is non-specific, meaning it’s not caused by a specific disease or specific structural problem, but rather by mechanical issues. Mechanical issues are difficult to pinpoint and may include multiple tissues in and around the spinal joints. 

The first step in treating your back pain is understanding what’s contributing to it. Our therapists will perform a comprehensive evaluation to review mobility restrictions, muscle imbalances, movement mechanics, and how your back is handling the demands of your sport or training.

Here are some of the more common sources of back pain that we see at our clinic:

• Strains and Sprains: Muscle strains and ligament sprains often occur during lifting, sudden movements, or poor mechanics, especially under load. Twisting, rounding, or lifting beyond your capacity can all increase your risk of an injury.
• Herniated Discs: The discs between your vertebrae help absorb force. These discs can bulge or herniate, often as a result of heavy lifting or twisting the spine improperly. If it irritates a nerve, it can cause sharp pain, stiffness, or radiating symptoms down the leg (often called sciatica).
• Lifestyle and Training Factors: Prolonged sitting (like at work), poor posture, limited core strength, or inefficient movement patterns can all place extra stress on the spine, especially when combined with intense training or sports.

Why Complete Game Physical Therapy Is Your Back Pain Solution

While some back pain improves on its own, physical therapy is a smart move if pain is intense, recurring, or limiting your training and daily movement. It’s also essential for anyone dealing with chronic back pain or trying to safely return to sport.

We customize all our back pain treatment plans according to your specific needs, including the location and severity of your back pain, any mobility restrictions, your ability level, and your overall goals. We’ll work to address the underlying issues causing your pain so you can train with confidence, not caution.

How will we do this? Through a blend of the following techniques:

• Manual therapy helps manage pain, promote blood circulation, and improve mobility.
• A personalized therapeutic exercise plan helps build resilient back and core muscles, which are crucial for protecting your spine during activities such as lifting, running, and sport-specific movements.
• Sport-specific training restores movements you actually use, such as hinges, squats, lunges, rotation, and explosive patterns. That way, your body is prepared to return to real-world performance.
• Prevention strategies help you move smarter going forward. We refine posture and lifting habits, set clear rules for training progression and load management strategies, and build a home routine for mobility and strength so you stay consistent when life gets busy.

Preventing Back Pain and Mobility Restrictions Before They Start

Back pain doesn’t usually show up out of nowhere. For athletes and other active adults, it can build quietly through repetitive movements or small flaws in your biomechanics that add up over time. Fortunately, you can often reduce the risk of most back pain with a few simple strategies. Staying proactive helps you train consistently, move well, and perform at a high level.

Three Back Pain Prevention Tips from the Complete Game Physical Therapy Team

Reignite Your New Year’s Resolutions

Did you set big goals last month? And have they already started to fizzle out?

The good news: You’re not alone. The better news: Complete Game Physical Therapy can help you reignite your New Year’s resolutions so you can achieve your health and wellness goals all year long.

• Is pain holding you back? Our physical therapists will dig down to the root cause and find a lasting solution.
• Did you burn out? Many people go a little too hard at the start of the new year. We’ll help you find a sustainable health or fitness program to stay with you for life.
• Are you overwhelmed by choice? One of our comprehensive assessments can give you a sense of any biomechanical issues or muscular imbalances in your body–helping to hone your focus.

No matter what goals you set on January 1st, our team wants to see you accomplish them. Schedule an appointment with us today to get started!

Red for a reason!

Our team is proud to support heart health awareness and encourage our community to take small steps each day toward a stronger, healthier heart.

We helped get Nihal Mark To Man of the match!

Patient Success Story

“We cannot say enough wonderful things about Colleen Davis. After my daughter suffered a serious back injury, Colleen played a huge role in her recovery. She has an incredible ability to relate to young athletes, making my daughter feel heard, understood, and confident throughout the entire process. Colleen’s expertise, patience, and personalized approach not only helped my daughter heal physically but also rebuilt her confidence. She guided her safely back to her sport and made sure she felt strong and ready every step of the way. We are so grateful for Colleen’s care and would highly recommend her to anyone in need of an exceptional physical therapist.” – Jessica L.

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Staff Spotlight:

Dr. Colleen Davis, DPT

Dr. Colleen Davis, DPT joined Complete Game Physical Therapy in July 2024 and is entering her 10th year of clinical practice. She brings experience across outpatient orthopedics, acute rehab, and home health, allowing her to support patients through every stage of recovery.

Colleen earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She holds advanced certifications including Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), Certified Personal Trainer (NASM), and Pregnancy and Postpartum Certified Exercise Specialist (PCES).

Her clinical interests include sports injuries, chronic and post-surgical care, prenatal and postpartum rehabilitation, pelvic floor dysfunction, and balance and gait training. Outside the clinic, Colleen enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and dogs, as well as skiing, running, and being outdoors.

Recipe of the Month: Yogurt Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

• 12 strawberries
• 10 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
• pink food coloring

Instructions:

1. Wash the strawberries and pat them dry. No moisture should remain on the berries before dipping them in the yogurt. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large plate or cutting board.
2. Place the yogurt in a small bowl and holding onto the green leaves, dip each strawberry into the yogurt. Swirl it around to cover the berry, leaving a little red at the top. Place each yogurt dipped strawberry on the parchment paper. When you have dipped all the strawberries, place them in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. Dip the strawberries a second time in the yogurt. To get a gradient of pinks, dip 4 berries in the yogurt with no food coloring, then add a single drop of pink food coloring to the yogurt and stir it till combined. Dip four more berries in the yogurt. Then add another drop of food coloring to the yogurt and stir to combine. Dip the remaining four berries in the yogurt. 
4. Place the strawberries back in the freezer for 40 minutes to 1 hour. The frozen yogurt will begin melting when you remove the berries from the freezer, so only pull them out when you are ready to serve them. 

Exercise Of The Month

Shoulder Shrugs

Stand tall with your arms at your sides, holding a dumbbell in each hand (optional). Slowly lift your shoulders up toward your ears in a shrugging motion. Hold briefly at the top, then lower your shoulders back down with control.

3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: optional dumbbells)

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